20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment’s Whalefall, based on Daniel Kraus’s bestselling novel, brings a gripping survival thriller to the big screen, starring Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd. Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
For the rising star Austin Abrams, one of the keys to unlocking his character in Whalefall was getting to see sperm whales in person. Prior to the start of principal photography, he visited a sperm whale sanctuary near the island of Dominica in the Caribbean with Patrick Dykstra, an acclaimed whale documentarian, where they were able to scuba dive and view sperm whales in their natural habitat.
Abrams’s guide was Patrick Dykstra, whose award-winning PBS documentary Patrick and the Whale explored the intelligence and social lives of sperm whales. “He said, ‘Look, I’m going to be inside the belly of a sperm whale, so I want to do it as authentically as possible,’” Dykstra explains. Sightings were never guaranteed: “People come down to dive with the sperm whales, but they’re wild animals, so you don’t find them every day.”
For Abrams, it was a one-of-a-kind experience. “I was surprised at how much time I actually got to spend with them. They hadn’t seen any sperm whales in the previous nine days, so I was lucky that both days I was there, they showed up and let me observe them. It was almost like being with an alien…very surreal.”
One day stood out. “The sperm whales really took to him right off the bat,” says Dykstra. “One day, three females approached him, and just kind of lay in the water with him. Austin was able to float quietly while the whales bobbed in front of him. You could see this incredible exchange of energy. Austin loved it, the crew loved it, and everybody had a great time. I think it had a profound impact on him and helped him unlock part of his character.”
Preparation went beyond the whales. “As soon as Austin was cast, he got advanced certified in scuba diving,” says director Brian Duffield. “So, he was fully committed to the character from the get-go.” To build endurance for the film’s demanding underwater sequences, Abrams took his training into everyday life, walking the streets of his neighbourhood wearing full scuba gear.
“Austin’s commitment and dedication were off the chart,” confirms executive producer Doug Merrifield. “He gave the proverbial 110% from the day he was cast in everything he did, but when we heard that he was walking through his neighborhood with his BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and a full scuba tank just to get acclimatized, everyone knew we made the right choice.”
Whalefall is directed by Brian Duffield and features a screenplay by Brian Duffield & Daniel Kraus. The producers are Brian Grazer, p.g.a., Brian Duffield, p.g.a., Jeb Brody, Allan Mandelbaum, p.g.a., with Doug Merrifield, Richard Abate, Will Rowbotham serving as executive producers.
20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment's Whalefall arrives exclusively in Indian theatres on 16 October 2026.
